We need to create more heroes to make India a sports superpower: Vijender Singh

New Delhi: Boxer-turned-politician Vijender Singh feels India needs more heroes beyond cricket to inspire the future generations if the country wants to become a sports superpower by 2047.

These heroes, he believes, will also drive a cultural change, encouraging more young Indians to pursue sports as a profession.

"We have to create heroes to change the culture," the former Olympic and world championships bronze medal-winning boxer, who is now a BJP leader, told PTI editors at its headquarters in an interaction here.

His comments were in response to a query on whether the government's stated goal of making India a sports superpower by 2047 was realistic.

"Over the years, the hunger to do well has kept increasing among our youth, especially those from the rural belt. So, when they see a Neeraj Chopra, they want to be like him. They want to have all that he has, and that drives them to excel," Vijender pointed out referring to the javelin throw gold-medallist from the Tokyo Olympics.

"When kids see his picture on a peanut butter container, it makes an impact. When I started out, I merely wanted a government job, that's all but today, athletes want more," he added.

The Bhiwani-man also said that improvement in the country's sports infrastructure is crucial to ensure the overall progress .

"We don't have good infrastructure or good stadiums. If we are serious, we need to improve that. You can't just make one cricket stadium and leave it at that.

"You need to have training centres for other sports as well. Otherwise someone (in Delhi) who wants to learn boxing has no option but to go to Sonepat and train there," he said.

Vijender said the change has to start at the basic level, in schools, where kids are allowed just one devoted sports or physical education period.

"We aren't taught sports in school. There is only one PT period but eight periods for academics. For us, sports is time pass, not a career." Drawing a parallel with cricket, Vijender, the first boxer from the country to stand on the Olympic podium, said that even the legendary Kapil Dev was relatively unknown to the masses before he brought home the 1983 World Cup.

"...how many people knew about Kapil Dev? Not many knew him before he won that World Cup." "Now, (we are at a point) where if a cricketer's finger gets hurt, you will read about it but you won't hear the same noise when a boxer's jaw is broken, that doesn't make news.

Vijender said Olympic medallists should also receive a welcome at par with the victory parade that was arranged for the T20 World Cup winning Indian cricket team earlier this month.

"We (other athletes) do feel bad because we also win medals for the country. We also have the right to a reception similar to the one in Mumbai," he said.

"An Olympic medallist should get a similar welcome but that won't happen. The medallist will be welcomed at the airport with garlands, shown on TV for one day and then they are back to competition."

If I could, I'd give more power to SAI

Vijender, who joined BJP from Congress before the Lok Sabha elections this year, would like to use his experience as an athlete in making effective changes if he is entrusted with the Sports Ministry in future.

"(If I become sports minister) I will make Sports Authority of India (SAI) stronger," he said, while talking about the nodal body of sports management in the country, entrusted with the job of handling logistics of national camps, appointment of coaches and financing the international exposure of athletes.

"I have got a lot of support from SAI, so I want to make it really strong. I want to reduce the power of the federations and give them to SAI. The SAI should directly handle the sportsperson," he added.

Hosting Olympics in 2036 will inspire youngsters

India are planning to bid for the hosting rights of the 2036 Olympic Games and Vijender feels it is a step in the right direction which will inspire the youth to take up sports.

"We should host the Olympics as people will get an opportunity to watch the Olympics (for free). Youngsters will get inspired. When they look at the podium and people standing on the first, second and third step...that's the moment they feel inspired." Vijender, who was also the first boxer from the country to become world number one in his weight category, is confident that the country will be ready to host the biggest sporting event when the time comes.

"We will be ready by then. Even in 2010, it was difficult (to host) the Commonwealth Games but it was one of the best CWGs," he recalled.

The 38-year-old drew comparison between the 2010 CWG held in New Delhi and the 2014 Glasgow edition.

"There was a lot of controversy but those Games were really good," he asserted.

"After that we went to Scotland and there we had to pay for our food sometimes, as there was a limit on how much you could take. And when I compared the two, 2010 was great," he added.